Decay of photoacoustic signals from biological tissue irradiated by near infrared laser pulses

We describe the phenomenon of a sudden decrease in the amplitude of photoacoustic signals arising from nanosecond laser pulse irradiation of biological samples, measured in vitro. Several dental enamel and chicken/turkey breast samples are examined. Moderate optical energy densities (i.e., about 300 mJ/cm(2)) are used, typical of those exploited in photoacoustic investigations. Measurements show a rapid decay of photoacoustic signals within the first few laser pulses absorbed by the sample. This phenomenon indicates that laser irradiation interacts with biological samples, causing long-term physical changes that can be attributed to a reduction of optical absorption within the samples. (c) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.